MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


CD REVIEW

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

Alternatively
Crotchet  AmazonUK   AmazonUS

 

Dieterich BUXTEHUDE (c.1637-1707)
Opera Omnia VI, Harpsichord Works II
CD 1
Aria in C BuxWV 246 [13:20]
Suite in e BuxWV 236 [7:49]
Aria in a BuxWV 249 [4:52]
Suite in F BuxWV 239 [4:42]
Suite in a BuxWV deest [7:57]
Canzona in d BuxWV 168 [3:45]
Suite in a BuxWV 244 [8:09]
Suite in C BuxWV 227 [7:03]
Toccata in G BuxWV 165 [4:19]
CD 2
Aria Rofilis in d BuxWV 248 [2:42]
Suite in G BuxWV 240 [6:14]
Suite in e BuxWV 237 [8:54]
Canzona in C BuxWV 166 [4:03]
Courante in d BuxWV Anh. [1:55]
Suite in g BuxWV 241 [7:13]
Suite in C BuxWV 229 [3:55]
Ton Koopman (harpsichord)
rec. 2007, Lübeck, Germany. DDD
CHALLENGE CC72245 [62:02 + 35:02]
Experience Classicsonline


This is the sixth set in a series of what looks as though it will eventually stretch to two dozen or so volumes. The whole – on Challenge - will contain all the works of the important north German-Danish composer and keyboard player, Dieterich Buxtehude. Volume VI has two CDs of his harpsichord music.
 
If nothing else (and there is much else), the project will throw brighter light on just how varied was Buxtehude’s output – and how accomplished a composer he was. All the more pity, incidentally, that not all of his music is extant. Volume I contained a first selection of harpsichord pieces; Volumes II and V vocal works while Volumes III and IV were dedicated to the organ. So, the logic for listeners is slanted firmly in the direction of collecting the entire series, because volumes are being issued in what may appear somewhat serendipitous fashion.
 
In terms of strength and variety of interpretation this, of course, not only puts quite a weight on the director; especially when they are also the chief soloist. It also asks us to trust - in almost every respect - the musical judgements of one performer who is also the originator and fashioner of the project. Such concentration could be a liability. Unless that figure at the centre of everything is Ton Koopman. Fresh from a Bach cantata series which occupied him for ten years and has turned out to be something of a triumph, Koopman seems likely now to be spending as long – or longer – devoted to Buxtehude.
 
Devotion is the operative word. This is a labour of love. But it has not a whiff of  amateurish admiration. Rather, the playing style, editing, supporting essays and indeed the whole splendid presentation start from the premise that Buxtehude is a very great composer and one whose greatness has to be taken for granted, as it is with Bach and Handel. And that we should thus let the music take us where it will.
 
In fact it takes us to some most interesting places… there are pieces in the stylus phantasticus (flourishing, improvisatory music); pieces of equal passion – but directed towards precision in every note; French-style dance suites, and works that could be described as almost experimental. It’s likely that these compositions had an audience of amateur and informal performers and performances: there is a simplicity and reluctance to venture into remoter keys than C major, D major and minor, E minor, F major, G major and minor, A major and minor.
 
There is – of course – some overlap between pieces which Buxtehude wrote for the harpsichord and those for the organ without pedals, manualiter. Nor can we overlook the fact that none of the manuscripts for Buxtehude’s harpsichord music survives – we only have copies. Koopman took the decision not to try and cram all that oeuvre onto three CDs so the fourth here (CD 2 in this set) is but 35 minutes long.
 
No matter: playing modern instruments by Willem Kroesbergen, Koopman has produced a feast. Not a sampler or dry recital of curios. But music which you will want to listen to repeatedly for the compositions’ profundity, liveliness, and their textures - both gentle and aggressive. We have to thank Koopman as well for the variety that he offers us so convincingly. His interpretation of the Suite in e BuxWV 236 (CD1 tr.2), for instance, shows great contrasts of colour and temperament; not hurried or peremptory, he nevertheless makes no apologies for leading us through the movements, rather than asking us to take them or leave them. This is a prudent approach that does the music real justice.
 
Koopman’s playing convinces, then, from the first note. It’s sensitive, stylish, articulate and consistent in every respect. There are other ongoing series (Julia Brown’s on Naxos stands out; as does Vogel’s on MD&G). Other interpretations certainly have their advantages. But Koopman has the lead for the way in which his immersion in the material seems to have conferred ample scope to breath, to have let the music find its own depth and work as it was intended to… particularities of tempi, nuances of phrasing and felicitous ornamentation in the service of invention – not virtuosity.
 
At times the music is somewhat ‘dry’, seems more of an exploration than a celebration – even the opening Aria in C (CD1 tr.1) has a Handelian predictability to it. Yet Koopman maintains and freshens our interest in it by playing it as though with a small band of avid listeners all hearing it for the first time. So this is compelling playing of generally exciting and original music and should be immediately added to the collection of anyone with a love of the Baroque keyboard and/or the less celebrated corners of Buxtehude.
 
Mark Sealey
 


 


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 


EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools




Return to Review Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.